Technician Spotlight: Matt Schneider

pwSlogoReflWhere do you work and how long have you worked there?

I am the owner/operator of Precision Woodwind Services which has been at its current location between Issaquah and Renton, Washington, since 2003 and in the greater Seattle area since 1991.

What do you specialize in?

Although I work on hundreds of brass and woodwind school instruments each year, as a saxophonist and instructor/clinician/adjudicator I have a special place in my heart for Vintage Saxophones.

What do you want the world to know about your work?

I take my time and I am motivated by my customers and my personal satisfaction, not income or notoriety.

Bench Photo #1Which MusicMedic pads do you use and why?

I stock the MusicMedic tan pad with no resonator and custom order RooPads upon customer request.  The standard tan pad with no resonator allows me to match the resonator to the instrument, install custom resonators or re install customer resonators which are re-usable.  Since I work on anything from student level horns to a repeat customers vintage “closet” horns, I have spent years trying every pad out there to find which pad I want to be my main pad I stock.  I have found these pads feel great (flat and firm, but not too flat and firm!). They are great to work with and outlast most other pad available especially at their cost and availability/ease of ordering.

If you could give one repair tip, what would it be?

I repair each instrument as if it were my own or one of my children’s, regardless of how much time and effort it may take. Enjoy your work and your customers, remember why we do this.  Wait, that’s two…and those are philosophies not repair tips…sorry! How about this…keep the foam pieces MusicMedic ships their stick shellac in and use them on the bench for saxophone necks, French horn rotors, trumpet pistons… anything you want to protect and keep from rolling off the bench!